New year or not, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) is always on the lookout to shatter drug syndicates around the country, amidst a renewed fervor to tackle the upsurge of online drug trafficking activities.
In its first major operation of 2018, CNB hauled in about 1.9kg of cannabis and 1.1kg of heroin — estimated to be worth over S$142,000 (US$106,315). The operation itself was conducted in the wee hours of Monday, in the vicinity of Evans Road.
A 34-year-old Malaysian suspect was spotted meeting up with two suspected local drug traffickers who arrived in a van, with the trio walking into a residential estate. Shortly after, the Malaysian left on his motorcycle.
CNB officers then moved in to arrest the local traffickers — a 46-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman. A raid was conducted at the woman’s workplace at Evans Road, where 1,933g of cannabis, 665g of heroin, and 40g of meth were recovered from her locker. From the van itself, about 26g of cannabis was seized. The drugs are believed to have been obtained from a Malaysia-based drug syndicate.
As for the Malaysian suspect, he was nabbed along Woodlands Avenue 3, with cash amounting to S$4,500 confiscated from him.
Follow-up investigations led to the arrest of two more Singaporean suspects. A 56-year-old man and a 62-year-old man were nabbed at a unit at Jalan Bahagia, where 461g of heroin and over S$16,400 in cash were also recovered.
“Drug syndicates – both local and overseas – continue to take their chances to smuggle and distribute drugs to the local market, and reap profits out of the misery of people trapped in the vicious cycle of drug abuse,” said CNB Communications Director Sng Chern Hong.
The Misuse of Drugs Act calls for the death penalty for those convicted of trafficking in more than 500g of weed, and the same goes for those who traffic over 15g of pure heroin. Investigations into the drug activities of all suspects are ongoing.
